Rotary tiller



H. C. OBER ROTARY TILL-ER April 7, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 20, 1949 INVENTOR. M (9M April 1953 H. c. OBER 2,633,789

ROTARY TILLER Filed April 20, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 M t I l f 5: Z,

I I i i 5 A 'l l I l I 3 i Q} INVENTOR. i. W

H. c. OBER ROTARY TILLER 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 20, 1949 zzvmvron. M 0

H. C. OBER ROTARY TILLER April 7, 1953' 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 20, 1949 INVENTOR- Patented Apr. 7, 1953 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I e it 2,633,789 I I i V ROTARY TILLER Howard C. Ober, Mayfield Heights, Ohio Application April 20, 1949, Serial No. 88,532

8 Claims.

.This invention relates to a device for manipulating loose or frangible materials and particularly to a device for cultivating the soil, loosening ind stirring packed frangible materials, and for removing snow and the like from side walks.

1 The device comprisesessentially a two-wheeled carriage supporting a horizontally disposed rotary tool and having manipulating handles thereon so it. can be guided and propelled by hand and, by swinging the carriage about the axle of the wheel's, raised and lowered so as to cause the rotary tool carried thereby to operate at different .depthsin'the material, an engine connected by a fbeltto a'power transmission for the rotary tool with a'novel means for tightening and loosening thebelt so as to drivingly connect and disconnect thee'ng'ine from the transmission, and a plurality of identical rotary tool members which may be easily assembled on and disassembled from a driven shaft of the device by manipulation of a minimum number of parts.

The present application is directed to the rotary .tiller machine as a whole, the rotary agitating 'elementand' component elements thereof being disclofsed'and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 249,776, filed October 4, 1951, which isa continuation in part of the present application.

1 One of the principal objects of the present in lvention is to provide a small compact rotary tool jtilling'device which is simple and rugged in construction and of which the parts are relatively s'imple'and'easily' assembled yet which is sufficiently light for easy manipulation.

"other. objects and advantages will becomeapparen't'froml the following description wherein reference is made. to the drawings, in which:

'1' is a side elevation of a device embodying the principles of the present invention and showing the device in normal operating position;

i Figs. 2 and 3 are a rear elevation with the handles removed, and a top plan view, respectively, of the device illustrated in Fig. 1;

:1 Figs. 4 and 5 are a longitudinal sectional view withthe engine omitted, and cross-sectional view, respectively, taken on lines 4-4 and 55, respectiv ly, of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is aside elevation similar to Fig. 1 but showing the device in condition for operatively disconnecting the engine;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line .1-1 of Fig. 3;

,.' ;F ig s. 8 a 6. 9 are rearand side elevations, re.- spectively, of one ofthe operating tool members of the -rotary tool, the' shaft thereof being frag- The bearing 24 at the opposite 2 mentarily shown for clearness in illustration; and

Figs. 1-0 and 11 are a rear and side elevation, respectively, of another operating tool member of which a number may be used toform the rotary tool of the device.

Referring to the drawings the device comprises a carriage, indicated generally at I, having an envgine'carrying portion 2 and a rotary tool carrying portion 3. The engine carrying portion 2 com- 2- prises essentially a top Wall 4, depending side walls 5 and a front wall 6, and is open at the bottom and at the rear. I i 4 The tool carrying portion 3 comprises essentially a top wall I with depending side walls 8 and a sloping reinforcing and baffle wall 9,--and is "open at the bottom and forwardly. One of the carriage portions, preferably the carriage portion 2, is mounted by a suitable axle it on a pair of wheels I l, the axle being arranged thereon. In the form illustrated, this mechanism comprises a transversely extending shaft i5 rotatably mounted in a suitable bearing and reinforcing sleeve it which is connected to the sidewalls 8. Mounted on the shaft I5 outside of one of the side walls 8 is a driven pulley l8 which is drivingly connected by a belt I9 to the engine. At its opposite end the shaft I5 extends outwardly beyond the opposite side wall 8 and carries a sprocket 2%. The shaft i5 preferably is arranged near the front and top wall of the tool carrying portion 3.

Mounted near the lower forward part of the tool carrying portion 3 is a rotary tool shaft 2| which at the end adjacent the sprocket 20 is provided with a sprocket 22 which is drivingly connected to the sprocket 20 by a suitable chain 23. The shaft 21 is mounted adjacent its ends in bearings 24 and 25, the bearings in turn being mounted on the side walls 8, respectively. A suitable dust proof housingZii is connected to one of the side walls 8 and encloses the sprockets andchain.

end of the shaft 2| from the sprocket 22 is detachably secured to the side wall on the outside and extends therethrough. For a purpose of removing the operating tools from the shaft 2|, as will later be described, the side wall 8 is provided with a passage 2! which is open at the bottom of the side wall and which is bridged by a suitable flange 28 on the bearing 24. Thus the bearing 24 can be re moved by movement axially offof the shaft and withdrawn from the passage 2'! thus leaving 'a passage for removing the tools from the shaft axially thereof.

In order to drivingly connect and disconnect the engine from the pulley l8 and for tightening and loosening the belt for adjustment thegcarriage portions 2 and 3 are hingedly secured together at their adjacent ends forswingingmova ment about a horizontal transverse axis which is parallel to the axis O f fthE pulley 18. For this n posersu tab e.arms 3 Which may be P e o t a meialrargs i fe t i 's wallsjofthe tool carrying portion 3 at the'uppr rear thereof and extend rearwardly therefrom beyond the rear limit of the portion 3. At their opposite ensl rth rmsw are r tal fi fl t l y bolts 3 I to the side wall ofthg engine carryihgportion .LZ near' h pPerrWer e Pf s l -Suitablepassa es33am providedin the forward .wal 6 o af rd sa e f m j he ihr an t e m t in at re swin in m ve n o the portions 2 and 3 about the axis of the pivots B e lv s n sstedie thei jse v e Pe use .arr e a tli tjqe We lfiberq f s were 34 on which smouat da. earwax lr st n i rigid arm 35. Thearrn 3is of suhicient length to extend entirely beyond the rear of the engine carrying portion 2, a suitable passage beipg 'nrTovmeq i t wa 6 to p rm t the a e .5. :extend th rethm e The as a e i 3 ds.- quate size to afford free rocking movementpf the a a o h a i ith? 10 1 1 31 s ql en upon swinging of the portions 2 and 3 about their 'piyotalaxis. r H UH m ...,,I;At the rear of the carriage portion-i, thearm :35. is-pr idqd w h, whi h in the. yrm 9 s ul b chji u ed i 2 3 by? spring 38. Rigidly mounted at the rear of the p t o s a fn es. br cket. 9.yrl is=. is r ed' f a e ti al QW. fh lss de t receiv t fcrw rd nd f theq eni 3" ph elq iinethe ar 5 'n fix dr latipn t the earqffie carriage r i fi n d ii reniadiu ed s iqe of the portions 2 and 3 about the axis of the p y tifl- In Figs, 1 and 4. the device is shown with the h ls. 14 n 1 nb an i -99-p w r.i .which tq i iqn he ma m m. distame be we th am e l ys a id. lei Q ei i .t nsi n p he be to h maximu B I EQS- 1% the defia t. 31 and we e hsa mfi t e carriage portions 2 and 3 are swung'labout the p v 3 t uedeerwhethe d ianeeiiwe the as t pu e s if! a s .fi.tn .so st u e lv .l q p ft belt. Thus djusted i e lqn at s f canbe'ob fined by nerely releasinfg the emfa ama mg the alrinf35'to'the'desired'posi aafrheamoum of movement permitted "is sb'minuy greatso that when theatre; "is in its iaw'rmcs'st I pastimes illustrf at'd"in Fig, "6, the

fbelt jis ineffective for drivin'gly 'coiinecti-ngtlfe V iiuiiey candle, Thustlie pivotalarrang'eni'ht as: *thecarriag'e portions" 2 and 3 and the arm 35 cooperate toproyide a clutching mechanism -161- mmune-the 'b'elt t'ehs'io'n' and for drivingly harder steel "alloys whicharede operating end 41 and for a short distance therefrom'toward the "opposite end. Therebeyond, towarclthe opposite ends the two pieces of metal are spaced apart from each other flatwise and provide a hub 42 with an arm portion joining the hub and end 4 i. fhe hub 42 has a passage therethrough which fits the shaft 2|. Between the hub portion 2 and thechoppingbrfopfating end 4| of the tool "member, bosses #3 are out'of "them'etal and are such that they e v "each other for limiting the 'moverhehtf'ofwhe laterally spaced hubportionsof ea'ch hub #2 relatively toward each other. All-of theto ol' 'rn m- ,b'er's 49 preferably are identical"with each; tlir. The tools are inade of low "carbon "steel, example, S. A. E. 20,. which is inexpensive n-d tough and canabsorbheavyshocksi-withou r iturin'g. The cutting ends are 'har b t c i "arc P es M g edges have the required characteristips y'et are tool members 'as'a whole are notbrittle. The'pas's'a'gefl inthe'wa lldis su h tha the bearing '24 removed, and "a 'tool1nember'f40 turned withits'cuttin'g end beneatht'he s'haft, the tool member 'sodispo'sed can be slippedciifdf the shaft 'en'dwis'e through "thepass'age' fl; The tool hubs 42 'are'preferablyarran abutting face to face relationship to "each other en'dw'ise of the shaft and the operatirigjdrfcuttih g ijgressively, in the same difectiohjcircumferen tially and the same direction "'endwis'ef'offthe shaft. The tool members ,40 thus greseiira 'Thy are spirally arranged row ofcutting ends inexpensive and 'rugge'd. Atthe sain spacing of th'e "arm' porti'onsfofeach tool b'er between its'bperating'fend and it's hub ents relatively "narrow edges to 'the 1 being subjected 'toth etool and assists inpenez. trjationof the material ibythetooljrnernbr There is atendency' for erase,-med ans-me liketo wind about the 'outer'surfa ce' of the iIlgS' 24 311K dill'ihig'bfilbltidffdf resultant binding "which resists "rotation "of t shaft "21. To"r'elievethe'shaft froinfthe binding effects or such ee de end grass meegataor 'bers fifl of th'e'row 'areprovidedfat'tliei most faces with cutting masseuse h parallel to 'theaXis'of the shaft an a radially outwardlythl'jfron'fso as": the ciraumrereneesortne be'arings'flf very slightoperating clearance. The bl be supported byweljding their. shine the end 'to'ols "40, as illustrated'in and preferably are substantiall c'oxt wise "withthose portions fofth'eb'e are exposed between the s'idew'aH i iage. -If desired the leading edges most pieces-of aasstra izietai for in WE. tool members l'fl may-be sharpened toakmf to assist ln cutting any'g-rass or weeds tending to be wound aroundthe bearings 24 and 25. In operation, the-depth to which the cutting portions of the composite rotary tool penetrateis dependent upon thepositionin which the front.

for removing snow and the like from side walks,"

tool members such as illustrated in Figs. and 11 are provided. As there illustrated, each tool has at one end a hub 45 and spaced arms 46 radiating therefrom. Between the arms at thee-ends opposite'from the'hub 45 brushes 41 are secured, the forward faces of the brushes being. biased about forty-five degrees or more to their circumferential path of travel. All of the brushes are biased in the same direction so that the snow engaged thereby is propelled laterally of the device. If desired, a longer belt can be used for this purpose and crossed between the pulleys so as to rotate the shaft 2| in the opposite direction from which it is rotated when the device is used for tilting, For example, as viewed in Fig. 1, the shaft 2| is rotated in a clockwise direction for tilling th soil whereas when used with the brushes for sweeping snowit is rotated counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 1. Thus, when the toolmem'ber is rotated in the direction'of rotation for tilling, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 4, each tool or prong 40, when passing below the rotative axis of the tool, swings in a direction rearwardly of the carriage and its outer extremity can pass below the level of the ground engaging'surfaces of the wheels and below the frame assembly and thereby till the ground and propel the device forwardly inasmuch as the device is free-wheeling.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A device of the character described, comprising a carriage including a free-wheeling engine assembly having a pair of axially aligned supporting wheels which are rotatable freely in opposite directions about an axis extending transversely of the carriage, handle bars connected to the carriage and extending rearwardly therefrom, an engine mounted on the engine assembly forwardly of the wheel axis, and a pulley drivingly connected to the engine,'a fram assembly including a tool supporting frame, a rotary tool mounted on the lower portion of the frame for rotation about an axis extending generally transversely of the frame, and a pulley drivingly connected to the tool, pivot means pivotally connecting the assemblies together for relative swinging movement upwardly and downwardly about a fixed axis positioned forwardly of the wheel axis and extending transversely of the engine assembly and frame and suspending the frame from the engine assembly in a position forwardly of the engine, latch means for latching the assemblies together, in a normal operating position, against said relative swinging movement, each of said pulleys having its axis parallel to and spaced from said pivotal axis so that the distance between the pulleys can be decreased by swinging the assemblies relative to each other about the pivotal axis from said normal operating position, a belt drivingly connecting the pulley when the assemblies are latched in said normal operating posi- 6 tion, said a'ssemblies being overbalanced so that, when they are unlatched, they'swing about, and relative to, the pivotal axis under the influence of gravity in a direction for decreasing the distance between the pulleys, said tool including a plurality 'of combination driving and tillin prongs extending outwardly from the rotative axis of the tool and constructed and arranged so that, when the tool is driven by the engine while the assemblies are in normal operating position, the prongs, when passing below the rotativ axis, swing in a direction rearwardly of the carriage and their outer extremities can pass below the level of the ground engaging surfaces of the wheels and below the frame assembly and till the ground and concurrently propel the carriage for-.

wardly by. their engagement in the ground, whereby the forward drive of the carriage can be effected and discontinued, selectively, .by swinging the carriage upwardly to different relative positions about the wheel axis when the assemblies are latched together, and both the forward drive of the carriage and rotational drive of the tool can be effected concurrently and discontinued.

2. A device according to claim 1 characterized in that said prongs, at their outer ends, are in the form of hooks of which the points projectfor wardly in the direction of rotation at'an abrupt angle to the length of the prongs, respectively.

3. A device according to claim lcharacterized in that the center of gravity .of the engine assembly is forwardly of the wheel axis and the center of gravity of the frameassembly is rear- ;vardly of the lowermost one of the prongs of the 4. A device according to claim 1 characterized in that the pivotal axis is close to the top of the engine assembly and of the frame, whereby, said engine assembly tilts downwardly forwardly about the pivotal axis and the frame assembly tilt downwardly rearwardly about the pivotal axis.

5. A device according to claim 1 characterized in that the wheel axis is close to the rear limit of the engine assembly, the pivotal axis is close to the front of the engine assembly and to the rear of the frame assembly, and the rotative axis of the tool is close to the front of the frame assembly.

6. A device according to claim 1 characterized in that said carriage is unconstrained from rocking rearwardly about the wheel axis to a position in which the tool is above the level of the ground engaging surfaces of the wheel-s when the frame assembly is in normal operating position relative to the engine assembly.

'7. A device according to claim 1 characterized in that said latch means is constructed and arranged to latch the assemblies in a plurality of relatively rotated positions about the pivotal axis for controlling the tension on the belt.

8. A device of the character described comprising a carriage including a free-wheeling engine assembly having a pair of axially aligned supporting wheels which are rotatable freely in opposite directions about an axis extending transversely of the carriage near the rear thereof, handle bars connected to the carriage and extending rearwardly therefrom, an engine mounted on; the engineassembly forwardly of the. wheel axis, and a. pulley drivingly connected to. theengine, the center of: gravity of the engine. assemblyibeing forwardly of the wheel axis, a tool. supporting frame assembly'including. a frame, a rotarytoo-l mounted. on. thelower; forward portion of the frame for rotation. about an axis; extendingv generally transversely of. the. frame; anda pulley drivingly connected to the; tool, the center of gravity of the. frame; assembly being rearwardly of the tool pivot means pivotally connect;- ing the assemblies'together for. freezrelative swinging: movement upwardly and: downwardly about a-v fixed axis, positioned. near: the. upper forward portion of the engine. assembly andv upper rear portion. of; the .i'rameassemblysand suspending the frame. assembly. from the: engine. assembly, a latching: arm fixedly connected to: the. upper, portioniofithe frameand extending rearward-1y there.- f-rom. past. the. rear. of the; engine assembly, for swinging: to, difierent. positions relative to the engine; assembly; means; for latching the bar to the. engine: assembly in a pluralityof. saidl positions,. selectivelvfor holding the frame assembly against swinging'movement: relative to theengine. assembly. aboutsaid: pivotal axis, eachof said pul- 1eys1 having its axis. parallel: to; said pivotal axis. and spaced. therefromrso that the: distance be-- tween the: pulleys can, be. decreased by swinging the frame assembly upwardly about the pivotal axis from: an operatingposition, a belt drivingly connecting, the; pulleysiwh'en the iframe assembly andrengineassemblyare latched. in said operating positiDmsaid frame assembly, WhEIlliIl operating position,.being spaced from. the: engine. assembly so; that. shocks; imparted totheframe assembly by-thetool are transmitted from the. frame to the enginaassembly. only through theqpivot means,v

arm andlatch means, said, tool including a plurality ofpcombination driving. and tilting. prongs extending outwardly from the ro-tative axis of prongs, when passing below the rotative.v axis,

swing ina direction rearwardly of the carriage. and their: outer extremities can. pass below the. level of the ground engaging surfaces ofv the wheels and below the frame: assembly and till the ground and concurrently prope1 the carriage. forwardly by their engagement in the ground, whereby the. forward. drive of the carriage can be effected and discontinued, selectively, by swing ing the carriage upwardly; to different relative positions about the wheel axis when the as.- semblies, are; latched together, and both theforward. drive. of the; carriage and rotational drive of thet'ool can be. effected concurrently anddis-- continued. concurrently,.. selectively, by unlatch-- ingthe assemblies, and said carriage hangoverbalanced. forwardly of the wheel. axis to swing, downwardly about the. wheel axis: when the as.-- semblies are latched together in said normal operating position.

HOWARDv C. OBER.

REFERENCES. CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Dec. 20, 1949 

